Currently in the Orient Road Jail waiting for Trail
for Murder First Degree Tampa Police Department

On March 15th 2009, a juvenile housing
unit at the Orient Road Jail was locked down after deputies discovered a
plot to murder a detention deputy. The Hillsborough County Jail Tactical
Apprehension and Control Team (TACT) was activated and conducted a
tactical operation in the Housing Unit 2-D to search for evidence and
contraband in the murder/escape plot.

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Detention Deputies uncovered the murder plot while
investigating a cell disturbance and several unusual incidents over an
18 hour period leading up to the revelation. Deputies and detectives
immediately launched an investigation and discovered Ronald Ball
masterminded the plan and recruited other juvenile cell mates to
participate in the murder and escape. One conspirator, Devon Serrano,
served as a trustee in the pod, assisting with cleaning and maintenance
tasks. During his assignment Ball accessed disposable razors and removed
blades that were used to construct weapons for the attack. Ronald Ball
and the other suspects utilized the blades to make homemade knives,
commonly referred to in jail as “shanks”. In addition to the razors,
small pieces of wire were collected with the intent that they might be
used to defeat door locks in the pod.

Ronald Ball and Esteban Rivera recruited Luis
Juarez to carry out the attack killing the deputy. Juarez bragged to
investigators about his willingness to kill a deputy without
reservation. After killing the deputy the inmates intended to take the
pod keys and escape from the jail through the recreation yard evacuation
door.

Rivera, Munoz and Juarez are currently in the
Hillsborough County jail under lockdown. Ronald Ball and Devon Serrano
are incarcerated in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections
and will be brought back to Hillsborough County to face these new
charges.

This incident highlights the extreme danger the men
and women working at the Hillsborough County Department of Detention
Services face everyday. The knowledge, skills and dedication by the
detention deputies involved in this incident prevented the escape of
five dangerous individuals and the murder of a fellow deputy. The
Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division and the Office of the
State Attorney conducted the extensive investigation that followed this
incident and resulted in the issuance of warrants for these individuals.

Col James Previtera will hold a press conference at
the Orient Road Jail at 4:30 pm to provide photo’s of the weapons along
with answering any additional question regarding the investigation.